Bibliology
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired words of God. Therefore, we believe the Bible is without error, infallible, and is authoritative in doctrine and is the final authority for faith and practice. Because God promised that His Word is sufficient and eternal, we believe that God has preserved His Word for every generation. The Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Received Text of the New Testament (Textus Receptus) are historically significant and trustworthy texts that have played a crucial role in shaping the faith of many over the past several centuries. These are the two text we celebrate and use. They have been carefully preserved and continue to be a source of inspiration.
Inspiration
• Verbal inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Samuel 23:2; Matthew 4:4)
We believe that each individual word of Scripture was inspired, not just the thoughts or ideas.
• Plenary inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew. 4:4)
We believe that every word of Scripture was inspired by God.
• Spirit-controlled writers (Jeremiah 1:4-5; 2 Samuel 23:2; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
We believe that God used specifically prepared and chosen men to write His Word, under the direct influence and specific guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Preservation
God has providentially preserved His Word for every generation:
• Infallible (Psalms 111:7; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew 5:18)
We believe that all Scripture is absolutely trustworthy and without error.
• Authoritative (Psalms 119:9; James 1:22-25)
We believe that the Scriptures are the final authority for believers in all doctrine and practice.
• Sufficient (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
We believe that the Scriptures are sufficient for every need of the believer.
• Eternal (Psalms 119:89; Psalms 119:160; Isaiah 40:8; John 1:1)
We believe that the Word of God has stood from eternity past and will continue forever.
Theology
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. God has revealed Himself to man, including His natural and moral attributes, through both general and special revelation.
The Nature of God
There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 45:18; I Timothy 2:5)
We believe that there is only one true God who is to be worshiped and obeyed.
God is a Trinity (I John 5:7; John 14:10,26)
We believe that the One true God exists in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are one, co-equal and co-eternal, distinct in person and function and yet not separate in authority or deity.
God is a Spirit (John 4:24; Colossians 1:15)
We believe that God is a Spirit, invisible and incorporeal, and cannot be experienced by or through the natural senses of the physical world.
God is a Person (Exodus 3:14; Exodus 6:6-8)
We believe that God is a person, demonstrating both self-consciousness and self-determination.
God has revealed Himself to man (Romans 1:18-20; Hebrews 1:1-2)
The Natural Attributes of God
These are the attributes that are the very nature of God's being, unique to Him, and these attributes cannot be the characteristics of man.
These are the Moral Attributes of God which can be exhibited by man in a limited capacity.Omniscience (Psalms 147:5, Romans 11:33)
God knows all things; past, present, and future.
Omnipresence (Psalms 139)
God is everywhere present in the whole of His being.
Omnipotence (Job 42:1-2, Revelations 19:6)
God is all-powerful and able to do anything consistent with His own nature.
Transcendence (Isaiah 57:15)
God is above and independent from His creation.
Eternal (Psalms 90:2)
God exists endlessly, without beginning or ending.
Immutable (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17)
God is unchangeable and unchanging.
Holiness (Leviticus 11:45, I Peter 1:16)
That supreme attribute of God whereby He is separate from all evil and pure in His being and nature.
Goodness (Psalms 145:9, Matthew 5:45)
That attribute of God which is revealed in His bountiful dealing with mankind.
Christology
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He is God in the flesh, and lived a sinless life on earth. His voluntary, substitutional death on the cross made full atonement for the sins of the whole world. His bodily resurrection and ascension secure an eternal home in heaven for all that are in Christ. He is returning to rapture His saints, judge the world, and set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.
The Incarnation of Christ
We believe that in Jesus Christ, there are two natures, fully Divine and perfectly human each in its completeness and integrity, in One person forever. (John 1:1-2, 14)
The Virgin Birth of Christ (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23; Galatians 4:4)
We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, as a fulfillment of the Scriptures.
The Humanity of Christ (Luke 2:52; Romans 8:3; I John 4:2)
We believe that Jesus Christ possesses a perfectly human body with all human characteristics, except sin.
The Deity of Christ (John 1:1; John 8:58; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:1-4)
We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God, equal in substance and essence with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
The Work of Christ (Mark 10:45)
We believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, becoming our Ransom, Redeemer, Reconcilor, and Ruler. We believe that He accomplished all things God the Father ordained for Him to do, and is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God waiting to claim His bride.
Christ the Ransom
We believe that because of sin, man is unable to reconcile himself to a Holy God, and that Christ delivered sinful man by providing the ransom of a sinless sacrifice which God required for atonement. (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; I Timothy 2:6)
Christ the Redeemer
We believe that Jesus Christ redeemed sinful man with His precious blood. (Hebrews 9:22-28; I Peter 1:18-19)
Christ the Reconcilor
We believe that Jesus Christ reconciled sinful man to God by His death on the cross. (Romans 5:10; I Timothy 2:5)
Christ the Ruler
We believe that Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave on the third day and later ascended bodily into heaven and is now in an exalted position at the right hand of the throne of God. He is coming again to Rapture His saints before the Tribulation and then, after His Second Coming, will establish His millennial reign.
Resurrection (Matthew 28:5-6; I Corinthians 15:12-20)
Ascension (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9)
Exaltation (Ephesians 1:20-21; Philippians 2:9-11)
Rapture (John 14:3; I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Second Coming (Matthew 24:29-31, II Thessalonians 2:1-12)
Millennial Reign (Revelations 20:1-6)
Pneumatology
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead. He was active in the creation and inspiration of the Scriptures and in the lives of the Old Testament believers and the life of Christ. The Holy Spirit is directly involved in the life of the believer through salvation and sanctification.
The Nature of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person (Romans 8:27; Ephesians 4:30)We believe that the Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force, but that He is a person possessing intellect, emotion and will.
The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1-6; I John 5:7)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God, equal in substance and essence with God the Father and God the Son.
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
In the Old Testament (Genesis 1:2; II Peter 1:21; Exodus 35:30-31)
We believe that the Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the universe, in revealing and recording God's message to man, and that the Holy Spirit empowered certain people to perform God-given responsibilities in the Old Testament.
In the Life of Christ (Luke 1:35; Matthew 4:1; Acts 10:38; Acts 1:2)
We believe that the Holy Spirit's ministry was essential in the life of Christ. His influence is evidenced in His conception, in His guidance, in His anointing for service, in the death and resurrection of Christ, and in instructions to His disciples.
In the Life of the Believer
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the salvation and sanctification of the believer. (Ephesians 5:16-25)
In Salvation (John 3:3-5; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe that at the moment of salvation, the Spirit of God regenerates, indwells and seals the new believer as a child of God.
In Sanctification (John 16:7-8; Ephesians 5:18; I Corinthians 12:11)
We believe that after salvation, the Holy Spirit convicts, comforts, illumines, fills, and intercedes. The Holy Spirit gives special gifts to the believer which are for the purpose of edification of the body of Christ.
Anthropology
We believe that man was created by a direct act of God in His own image. Man fell from his original state of innocence by a voluntary act of his freewill. Man has an inherited sin nature and is a sinner by choice. Therefore, he is under the condemnation of God and is in need of salvation.
The Nature of Man
We believe that man is created in the image of God, which is reflected in his threefold nature of body, soul, and spirit. We believe that he was created with a freewill and was granted dominion over all of God's creation. (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:16-17; I Thessalonians 5:23)
The Fall of Man
We believe that Adam, in exercise of his freewill, chose to disobey God, and as the representative of mankind, brought physical, spiritual and eternal death upon every man. Because of man's sin, he is totally depraved, free from righteousness, and is therefore under the just condemnation of God. (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-19, Romans 6:20)
Soteriology
We believe that salvation is the free and gracious gift of God, available to all mankind, whereby He restores sinful men to a right relationship with Himself on the basis of the finished work of Christ.
Grace
We believe that grace is the unmerited goodness and love of God for those who have forfeited it, giving us what we do not deserve, namely salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 2:11; Titus 3:5)
Repentance
We believe that repentance in salvation is a change from unbelief to belief. It is the process that leads one to recognize their unbelief as sin and turn from that sin to Christ for salvation. (John 16:7-9; Mark 2:17; II Peter 3:9)
Faith
We believe that faith is an act of the heart which involves an intellectual, emotional and volitional change based on the recognition of Biblical truth, whereby the sinner turns to Christ and trusts in Him alone as the only means of salvation. (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2-3, Romans 5:1, Romans 10:9-10)
Justification
We believe that justification is the judicial act of God which occurs at salvation on the basis of the shed blood of Christ, and that He declares the guilty sinner to be righteous and free from guilt and punishment. (Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2-8, Romans 5:1, 9, 18; I Corinthians 6:11)
Ecclesiology
We believe that the Church is the institution through which God is carrying out His plan and purpose for this age. We also believe that the Church is distinct and separate from the Nation Israel.
The Church
We believe that the Church that Jesus Christ started is the visible gathering of believers in a local community, for the purpose of fulfilling the Obligations, Ordinances and Offices of the New Testament Church. (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:41-47, II Corinthians 11:28)
The Obligations of the New Testament Church
Evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)
We believe that it is the responsibility of the members of the Local Church to be involved in fulfilling the Great Commission, both individually and as a group.
Edification (Acts 2:42,47; I Corinthians 5:1-13, I Corinthians 12:12-15, Ephesians 4:12, II Timothy 4:1-3)
We believe that there are four aspects of edification: Fellowship, Discipline, Bible Teaching, and the Exercise of Spiritual Gifts.
The Ordinances of the New Testament Church
The Lord's Supper (Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-34)
We believe that the Lord's Supper is to be observed by believers in remembrance of the Lord's death and examination of his present relationship with Christ.
Baptism (Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:1-4)
We believe that Baptism by immersion demonstrates the believer's obedience and public identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Offices of the New Testament Church:
Pastor (Bishop, Elder) (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-13; I Timothy 3:1-7; I Peter 5:2)
We believe that the Pastor is the undershepherd of the local body of believers and must fulfill the requirements of Scripture for his office.
Deacon (Acts 6:2-3; I Timothy 3:8-13)
We believe that the Deacon is to be a servant assisting the pastor with the daily ministry of the church, allowing the pastor to devote more time to prayer and the Word.
Angelology
We believe that angels are spirit beings created by God during the six days of creation. Angels are messengers and ministers to both God and man.
The Nature of Angels
We believe that angels were created by God in a very great number. They are personal beings, however they are not human. Angels have differing ministries, and they continue to serve and worship God in heaven and protect and minister to believers. (Psalms 148:2-5; Hebrews 1:6-7; Hebrews 1:14)
The Nature of Satan
We believe that one of the angels created by God was Lucifer. Because of his pride, Lucifer rebelled and was cast out of heaven along with a great host of angels. Satan and those angels who followed him are active today, seeking to blind men to the gospel, tempt and deceive men to sin, and to hinder the work of God's servants. Their destiny is eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; II Corinthians 4:4; II Timothy 2:26; I Peter 5:8; Revelations 20:10)
Eschatology
We believe that the next event in fulfillment of prophecy is the imminent two-fold return of Christ. First, He will return for His Bride at the Rapture of the church, before the Great Tribulation to judge the saints. Second, He will return at the end of the Great Tribulation to set up His Millennial Kingdom, which will end with the Great White Throne Judgment. Finally, after casting Satan into the Lake of Fire, He will create a new heaven and a new earth.
The Second Coming of Christ
The Rapture of the saints (I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelations 3:10)
We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the saints, which signifies the beginning of the Tribulation.
The Great Tribulation (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:15-30)
We believe that there will be a seven year period of the outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth called the Tribulation.
In Heaven (I Corinthians 3:12-17; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelations 19:6-9)
We believe that during this time, the believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged for their works, and will participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, to be eternally wed to Christ as His Bride.
On Earth (Matthew 24:29-30; Revelations 19:11-21)
We believe that during this time, all who remain on earth will be judged and Israel will be purged to be made ready to receive their Messiah. This period will end with the Coming of Christ with His saints from heaven, the Battle of Armageddon, and Christ conquering the armies of men and binding Satan.
The Millennial Reign of Christ (Revelations 20:1-10)
We believe in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ which He will establish on earth, reigning for a thousand years. Following the thousand years, Satan will be loosed and again revolt against Christ, and will be captured and cast into the Lake of Fire forever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
We believe that at the Great White Throne Judgment, the unbelieving of all ages will stand before God to be judged and will be eternally condemned to the Lake of Fire because their names were not written in the Book of Life. (Revelation 20:11-15)
The New Heaven and New Earth
We believe that following the Great White Throne Judgment, there will be a new heaven and new earth, and a new Jerusalem where Christ will reign as the eternal King of Kings and the redeemed of all ages will dwell with Him forever. (Revelations 21:1-22:5)
